The Lycan King's Healer
The Lycan King’s Healer – Chapter 68

Once the sun was gone and the moon had returned, the mysterious healer returned to Emily and Elias’s residence like every night.

“Everything is going according to plan,” the man informed the couple. They silently rejoiced at this, the mischief twinkling in Emily’s eyes.

Elias looked at the ominous healer. “Tell us.”

“The poison I concocted worked with ease,” he said with a predatory smile, “the staff is slowly dying off one by one. They soon fall dead within two hours.”

Benjamin was present as well at the meeting. He provided no brains behind the operation, just willingness to do anything to get ahead.

While of course, not knowing the two people he was working with were also working against him.

“Perfect,” Elias smirked. “That estate will fall apart piece by piece.”

“She is going to pay for what she has done,” Emily sneered.

The mysterious healer seemed to be formerly proud of his plan, but uncomfortably shifted at that.

***

“Cathy,” I heard through the floating, dark void.

“Mommy,” I heard through the buzzing, distant place.

I was drifting in unconsciousness, the darkness still firmly encompassing me. Slowly, I was coming back to the surface, but I still could not break it as I heard the two people in the room with me.

“Why is she not waking up?” the younger voice demanded in a tone edged with panic.

The older voice responded, “She will soon, Theo. The doctor said she just needs rest and fluids. Think of it as some extra needed sleep.”

Aldrich. I was surprised to hear him, for the last time we spoke, he seemed like he never wanted to talk to me again.

“She’s been sleeping for so long,” Theo complained.

“I know, son. Be patient and she will soon wake.”

Son. I did not hear Theo react to that; it seemed like he was really accepting the title. Maybe he had already accepted it a long time ago.

“I want her to wake up now!” Theo insisted, and I felt instantly horrible that he was this upset over my unconsciousness. But I could not fathom anything through the mental fog; I had no idea why I was surrounded by this darkness. My body felt so exhausted, like bags of sand were holding my limbs down to the bed underneath me.

“Me too, buddy,” Aldrich murmured.

“You really care about my mommy,” Theo piped out randomly, “why?”

“Well,” Aldrich started, a light chuckle in his tone at the abrupt question, “first, she’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met. But it’s not only her looks—there’s much more to a woman than her face, remember that,” he added pointedly. “She is strong. She’s stronger than any of those toy soldiers of yours, even stronger than me.”

“But you’re an army general!” he protested.

“That’s right,” Aldrich said, “she’s stronger than an army general.”

“She’s good at protecting me from bad guys…but I want to protect her from them,” Theo commented.

“I will teach you how to do that every day when you’re older,” Aldrich promised, “I know the feeling of wanting to do anything to protect her.”

“Why not now?” he whined, and I could even imagine the disappointment in his big eyes and his lips puckered out. It was hard not to fall victim to that.

“Because,” Aldrich sighed out, seemingly contemplating how he was going to explain, “when I was your age, my father made me learn how to fight. That became all I knew for many years, which isn’t how childhood is supposed to be. I want you to keep on your archery, but to also play with those toy soldiers instead of learning to be one of them.”

“I want to make you proud,” Theo only responded, not quite understanding.

“You already do, every day. Even that man in the village who did not know you knew you were special,” Aldrich said solemnly.

Theo didn’t say anything for a moment before responding in a flattered, lighthearted voice, “I guess.”

A stretch of silence followed this. I tried reaching my hand through the surface of consciousness but kept failing to, if only I was able to reach just an inch more…

“Are you a prince and my mommy is a princess?” Theo suddenly inquired. His tone indicated that he had been wanting to ask for a while.

Aldrich laughed softly, making my heart flutter even in this strange shallow slumber. “Yes, Theo. But you know how the prince always saves the princess in those tales?”

Theo didn’t verbally reply, and I assumed he did his bobblehead nod.

“Well,” Aldrich drawled, “in this story, the princess saves the prince.”

“No way!”

“Way,” Aldrich retorted with a grin coating his voice.

The surprise that ran through my body must have been enough to rejuvenate my mind, because my fingers finally thrusted through the surface of consciousness, and my eyes fluttered open.

My gaze instantly met a pair of hazel gleaming brown, and another of emerald eyes that matched my own. They both contained the same level of concern, and a sleepy grin instantly crossed my face.

Aldrich shook his head disapprovingly as Theo jumped on top of me. As he squeaked out in excitement, Aldrich let out a low chuckle.

“You have a lot of nerve smiling like that after worrying us, lady,” he teased, glimpsing down at me.

I hugged Theo to my chest, drawing him into me as he buried his face in my neck. He smelled like crushed grass and snow. “Well, it certainly wasn’t my intention,” I responded mockingly. I barely recognized my voice for a second; I sounded eighty years older than I was.

“You slept for so long, mommy!” Theo pulled back to reprimand me, his eyebrows pinched together.

“I’m sorry, honey. Mommy was just feeling tired,” I responded, looking to Aldrich cluelessly. I had no idea what to tell our son.

“You were supposed to get my arrow and instead took a nap right in the snow!” he exclaimed.

Aldrich met my eyes as my own widened. Shit. The memories all slowly drizzled back in; being out in the snowy fields with Theo, retrieving the arrow…then the sea of darkness crashing over me. It felt like all of my strength had been sucked out of me at once, leaving nothing but my tired bones.

Even now, when I tried to lift my arms to hug them around Theo, I felt the heaviness in them. What was going on?

Was my mental state affecting my physical health? What could that mean?

I instantly thought to consult with Clement, and silently cursed to myself when I recalled his sudden disappearance. Fear for him made my heart crinkle in on itself, and I felt weaker and weaker.

“Theo, honey,” I said, placing my hand on his arm, “go to your room and I will tuck you into bed in five minutes.”

“Okay, mommy,” he responded. I was expecting him to counter this, but maybe he felt bad for me, even if he didn’t quite understand it all. Or he was simply tired after worrying so long for me. Aldrich helped him off the bed before guiding him to the door that conjoined our rooms. He then closed it behind Theo.

I was slightly nervous to face him. A sigh automatically escaped me as he looked at me, and I avoided his gaze by looking down at my hands.

“Are you finally going to tell me what’s going on with you?” he asked.

I swallowed, attempting to moisten my dry throat. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Cathy,” he snapped with a clenching jaw, “you know not to lie to me by now. Tell me.”